Well, we all know that a gelding will grow taller than if you leave him intact until he’s mature, so it wouldn’t be a wild assumption to think it’s pretty possible.
3 Likes
Aside from the convenience to humans, what are the benefits to the dog?
For bitches, an ovary sparing spay will eliminate the risk of pyometra if she isn’t bred, while still allowing the benefits of her hormones. For males, there really is no reason other than laziness.
Why? Aside from not allowing an intact dog to mate, there’s no special housing requirements.
1 Like
Unless they’re marking every vertical surface in your house. I went through this with two intact dogs I adopted as young adults (about 2 years old). It was a nightmare that stopped as soon as they were neutered.
I understand there are some health benefits to waiting, but that’s not behavior I could live with if I got a male puppy ever again.
6 Likes
I just spayed my breeding girl, who didn’t take this year, and at age 7 deserves to be retired. She’s had two lovely litters and I don’t want to breed her at age 8.
I co-own one of her daughters who has just started her agility career.
I was worried about the spay, but she bounced through it.
I had a young girl as a breeding prospect, got some confirmation points, was going to send her out to finish, and did the OFA at age 2, only to find out her elbows did not pass. So she got spayed at 2.5.
I have two intact boys and the other boys are neutered because they just weren’t “good” enough for breeding (all had excellent to good OFA hips, and “normal” elbows) but sloping croup or not enough hind leg drive, or in the case of one of them, he hated showing but he loves to work chickens!
6 Likes
I own 3 intact males, so of course it’s true, but the average pet owner struggles to train or exercise their dogs enough, let alone create environments that prevent accidental escape for breeding, fighting, roaming.
Pet owners have no need or desire to manage intact dogs. Enough accidental litters happen already, and the “benefit to dogs” is that intact bitches aren’t getting impregnated at 8 months and having their litters dumped in shelters, or worse, thrown into ditches.
Spay/neuter procedures are relatively safe and allow lots of people/families to enjoy dogs, and millions of dogs to enjoy healthy lives - certainly to live a healthier and happier life than a stray.
19 Likes
I love this post. So much like my girl’s breeder, who is exactly the type I want to support by buying her dogs (doesn’t hurt that the breed and I are a match made in heaven in all ways including that she’s about the cutest thing to ever walk the earth). Glad your girl was fine with the spay and wishing you many more years of fun with her and her daughter.
As for the spay/neuter question broadly, I’m appalled that puppies 6 mo and younger are being altered, even as I understand the reason for it, and sadly recocgnize that many puppy buyers aren’t educated or responsible or committed or able in some way to properly train and keep their dogs to prevent unwanted litters.
1 Like
There’s also the fact that shelters will not adopt out until the dog is altered.
4 Likes
One of many reasons I won’t deal with shelters. It’s mutual though: I work full time and they won’t sell me a dog. Never mind that my dog plays with friends or schools agility before coming to the office with me, and goes to the barn after work. Definitely a rotten life for a dog.
4 Likes
I hear you, but I think that a little more understanding towards their spay/neuter policy might be in order. They’re front-and-center on what an unaltered dog in irresponsible hands results in, and that’s even more unwanted dogs.
10 Likes
If I were in a different area of the country, I’d likely agree, but here, where virtually all - and maybe all - of the dogs sold by shelters are imported from other areas of the country. To the extent they’re importing puppies who’ve been altered or who they will alter, that’s a business decision, and I have no patience for it.
3 Likes
They’re taking puppies and dogs from areas where they would not be adopted quickly or easily, and the shelters are overwhelmed. My local shelter does it all the time - that’s why my shelter mutt came from Georgia.
It’s the same problem, they’re just trying to spread the load out.
5 Likes
Gelding before puberty tends to result in a taller horse.
6 Likes
Increased risk of mammary tumors in females and an increased risk of prostate disease (tumor, abscess, benign hypertrophy) or testicular disease (tumor, torsion, orchitis) in males.
4 Likes
Because even when shelters adopted out intact females with a certificate to cover the cost of the spay, what they got instead was litters of puppies.
I remember those days vividly.
11 Likes
Oh I totally understand their perspective. The average owner is a total idiot that can not be trusted to 1) contain their dog and 2) not make an idiotic decision to breed due to sentiment.
3 Likes
This is a stupid question, but I don’t know the answer - when is “puberty” in a male horse?
Ghazzu - are you saying that neutering can result in increased risk? Or NOT neutering can result in increased risk?
1 Like
It is believed (maybe proven-?) that testosterone causes growth plates of long bones to close. So leaving a colt intact will tend to inhibit the long bones from getting longer, and horsie will not become as tall as he would if the testosterone is removed from his system.
I would assume the same factors would be in play for all mammalian males.
That would be a nifty trick if neutering increased the risk of testicular disease 
These are all increased risk in intact animals.
There’s also a correlation between spayed and neutered animals and an increased incidence of osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell cancer which are all more common than prostate cancer. I need to look at the incidence of mammary tumors again, but this seems like a trade off.
It can lessen marking, but then so can diligent training… although not for everyone. Some dogs don’t ever mark, some do, some neutered dogs continue to mark.
I get that there are people out there too lazy to manage their animals properly, but I don’t think that makes altering a puppy and creating other health and behavioral issues right.
It certainly seems to be, including humans. I remember reading about the castrati singers being taller than average.
1 Like
